You're not likely to hear it very much, but job stability isn't always terribly important when you consider taking a new job. It depends on your career goals and financial situation. There might even be times when taking a shaky job can benefit you. In most cases, however, you’ll want to avoid jobs that don’t offer long-term stability. Understanding your current and future job needs and career goals will help you make the right employment decisions.

Job Stability

Job stability is not just about your ability to hold a job. It also means you will enjoy steady pay and benefits, and reduced stress levels. If you take a job at a company in a declining industry, or know the business itself has been losing sales or market share, you might end up being one of the first people fired if you’re a new hire. Even if you’re not fired, an unstable business might cut back your hours, reduce your pay or eliminate certain benefits. These issues are much less of a problem at a stable company.

Income

One of the first things to consider when determining whether to take a job you might lose is the impact it will have on your income. If you are searching for a job and have several leads, taking the wrong job can cause you to miss out on other, better opportunities. On the other hand, if you are in dire financial straits and are offered a high-paying job that lasts only a few months, the income you earn there might be enough to help you pay off debt and give you breathing room to look for a new job. In this case, job stability is not important when compared to your need for immediate income.

Relocation

When you relocate, you incur a number of costs. These include moving expenses; the cost to disconnect old phone and utility services and connect new ones; deposits or down payments on new apartments or houses; and the cost to set up new bank accounts and other services. If you are considering a job that requires relocation, job stability is very important. You not only need a sure and steady income to help cover your expenses. You also want to ensure that you have a few years of steady work so you can build up professional contacts in your new city. These contacts will come in handy in case your current job falls through somewhere down the line.

Health Insurance

Choosing to work for a company you know is unstable might be a good idea if it gives you access to health insurance benefits. If you are out of work and don't have any insurance, job stability might be less important for the time being than the peace of mind that comes with knowing you are covered in case you run into high medical bills.

Your Resume

Taking a job you lose after a year might not be a bad thing if you receive on-the-job training, such as learning a specific computer program, that makes you a more attractive job candidate for other jobs. In this case, job stability isn't that important. Just make sure you don't take too many unstable jobs. If you lose them and wind up with a long list of new jobs on your resume, this is a negative for many hiring managers.

About the Author

Sam Ashe-Edmunds has been writing and lecturing for decades. He has worked in the corporate and nonprofit arenas as a C-Suite executive, serving on several nonprofit boards. He is an internationally traveled sport science writer and lecturer. He has been published in print publications such as Entrepreneur, Tennis, SI for Kids, Chicago Tribune, Sacramento Bee, and on websites such Smart-Healthy-Living.net, SmartyCents and Youthletic. Edmunds has a bachelor's degree in journalism.